1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of TiO.sub.2, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure fluctuations of fluids in a reactor vessel during formation of TiO.sub.2.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
In the production of titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2), heated titanium tetrachloride (TiCl.sub.4) and heated oxygen (O.sub.2) are combined in a reactor vessel, commonly referred to as an "oxidizer". A portion of the operating procedure heretofore employed in the production of titanium dioxide has been to adjust the flow rate of reactants until "flutter" sounds are heard by the operator and then to increase the flow rate by a small amount for the production run.
"Flutter" is a descriptive word used in the burner art to denote sounds of uneven combustion. This term was established years ago when burners produced audible chugging sounds. While modern burners are relatively quiet in operation, the term is still used but "flutter" now refers to roughness and/or fizzing sounds produced in a burner assembly. Flutter also is used to refer to the fluttering motion on the pointer of a pressure gauge located at the upstream end of a burner assembly or reactor vessel.
In the production of titanium dioxide, the current process is to tune the reactor in response to sounds that the operator hears as to "flutter". While this procedure is workable, it is not very accurate because flutter detection is a "learned" procedure that requires subjective evaluations of subtle differences between normal and abnormal reactor sounds.
Because of the difficulty in flutter detection in modern reactors, attempts have been made to sense the flutter of the reactor with a microphone, for example, located near the reactor. The signal from the microphone is amplified and conditioned by an audio equalizer and then sent to the control room. Another approach proposed in the prior art is to display the sound spectrum on a computer screen. However, the use of the microphone and the sound spectrum have been only marginally acceptable because the results are generally inconclusive. Thus, a need still exists for a system capable of detecting and monitoring the flutter of modern reactors which is not dependent on the subjective evaluations of the operator between normal and abnormal reactor sounds. It is to such a system that the present invention is directed.